An Education in Business: A Somerset Novel (Somerset Series Book 3)

by Heather C. Myers

  Lucas handed her a towel and she immediately started drying her hair with it, expertly avoiding his eyes.

  "So," he said, crossing his arms over his chest, causing his arms to pop. Avery felt herself start to react to those arms. They were like secret weapons. Lucas Cruz wasn't the tallest guy and he didn't have a lot of muscles, but his arms... They were definitely something to look at. "Why are you here?"

  Avery wasn't offended by his direct question. She didn't care that he didn't make small talk or ask if she was okay. They weren't friends. They weren't lovers. They were two people conducting business. Because that was all this was, a business visit.

  "I'm here," she said slowly, "because I want to take you up on your offer." She swallowed but she was able to make direct eye contact with him. Her heart was in her throat but she felt more powerful than she had in a long while. "I want you to teach me about..." She needed to get it out. She needed to say the word. To make it real. "I want to know how to please a man. And myself."

  6

  Lucas’s mouth dropped open and Avery swallowed. She knew she was blushing; her cheeks always turned pink at the most inopportune moments, and she probably looked like a wet dog shivering under an expensive towel he might very well never use again. A part of Avery was proud of herself; no one caught Lucas Cruz off-guard except her, it would seem. So, as embarrassed as she was, she was also pretty proud.

  "I'm sorry," he said, blinking slowly as he tilted his head to the side. "What?"

  He genuinely looked perplexed, like he had no idea how to respond to what she had just requested of him and couldn't even think of a response.

  "I thought about what you said," Avery told him. She pressed her lips together, looking at him through her long eyelashes. "About experience. About how I can relate sex to every aspect of my life. About how experience trumps knowledge acquired through others means - like reading or television or even music. And I want that experience."

  "So go ask your fiancé," he said. His posture was stiff but he didn't seem entirely uncomfortable with this conversation. At least, not the way Avery was uncomfortable. "Isn't that his job? Isn't that one of the perks of marriage and being in a committed relationship? Having sex whenever you want? That’s what they tell me, anyway."

  "You're not in a committed relationship," she pointed out, "yet every morning while I'm eating my Frosted Flakes, there you are, on the cover of another tabloid, getting laid. And with a different woman each time."

  He crossed his arms over his chest and his eyes sparkled with amusement. "And how do you know I'm not in a committed relationship?" he asked. "Are you just taking the stereotypes I happen to fall easily into and perpetuating them by assigning me those characteristics without even knowing me?"

  Avery swallowed, hesitating. "Are you in a relationship?" she asked slowly. "Because if you are, I will leave and..." She shook her head. Now she wasn't just pink, she was red. And embarrassed. And she had to face this man for the next foreseeable month due to scheduled business meetings until the app creators finally chose the investor they wanted to work with. She had completely embarrassed herself and there was no taking it back. "I am so sorry. If I had known, I never would have" -

  Avery got cut off with a laugh.

  Before she knew what was happening, Lucas reached out and cupped her cheek with his palm. His hand was much bigger than she expected; it nearly covered a fourth of her face, and his long, spider-leg fingers curled past her ears so his fingertips touched her hair. It was such an intimate gesture from a near-stranger, she couldn't help but flinch at it.

  His dark eyes sparkled. "And how are you supposed to learn anything if you don't feel comfortable with me touching you?" he asked, his voice low and soft. It was decidedly serious, a tone Avery had never heard from him before. It caused goosebumps to prick her arms and the back of her neck.

  She swallowed again. God, she was doing that a lot. She was in way over her head. Maybe she shouldn't have come... The way his warm palm touched her cheek, though; the way his fingers started caressing the locks of her hair. She had no idea what she was doing. She had no idea what she was in for.

  "You're right," she said. Her throat was dry despite the numerous attempts at getting it wet. She shouldn't have come. This was dumb. Hopefully, Lucas wouldn't be a jerk and hold this over her head during their business meetings. Granted, he would never take her seriously anymore from here on out but that was okay as long as he didn't tell anyone about this. He didn't seem like the type to do something like that. In fact, Lucas seemed a lot more quiet than his public persona indicated.

  His brow pushed up in surprise but he still didn't let go of her. Was it wrong that Avery was okay with that? In fact, she was almost a little bit relieved about it, if she was being honest.

  "Is that so?" he asked. "What am I right about?"

  "I shouldn't have come," she said, and before she could stop herself, she licked her bottom lip. It wasn't supposed to mean anything. It just happened. She wanted to moisten her lips for no reason other than to moisten her lips.

  But his dark eyes honed in on the gesture and his irises became even darker than they already were. And then he was staring at her lips and she, for whatever reason, was staring at his. They were thin, with just enough definition to make him look like an expert kisser. Surprisingly enough, they appeared soft. Avery wasn't sure what she was expecting from his lips, exactly. Maybe she thought they would be bruised or marked in some way due to the amount of people he had supposedly kissed.

  "You should know something about werewolves, Ms. Montgomery," he told her. Was it her imagination or was he tilting his head closer to her? His eyes still hadn't reached her eyes; they were focused on her mouth. "We don't like to share our things."

  "Well, um." She swallowed and her arms currently crossed over her chest shook. However, she forced her eyes to meet his. Her mouth instantly went dry again when they locked with his dark ones. Somehow, they were even darker than normal, which she originally thought was impossible. There was more in that look than she had ever seen in anyone's glance ever. Even now, something sparked between her and Rick but that was rare and it was never like this. "It's a, uh, a good thing I'm not yours."

  He took a step toward her. She felt herself shiver but she didn't know if that was her rain-soaked clothes or if it was because of something else entirely. Something that came directly from him. She felt herself take a step back on instinct and clutch his towel closer to her body. Lucas's smirk deepened upon seeing the actions.

  "Actually," he corrected, taking another step forward, "you are. At least, in body." His eyes trailed up and down her form, dragging up, dragging down. He stared at her blatantly, openly, which darkened his eyes even further. His tongue danced on the corner of his lips as he did so, like he was preparing for supper. Like she was going to satiate each one of his hunger pains.

  It was only then she realized he desired her. He wanted her body and he had no problem letting her know just that. His pupils were dilated, his tongue was out. He slowly stalked toward her like she was his prey and he was going to consume her thoroughly until there was nothing left. But regardless, he wanted her. He wanted her badly and fully to the point where she was affecting his body chemistry. She had never seen that look on Rick's face when he looked upon her before, even when she was cleaned up with a blowout and a short dress. Well, only then. Never casually. Never on a daily basis.

  She didn't understand why Lucas desired her so. She was still soaking wet, her clothes clinging to her like skeletal hands wrapped around her body, choking the life out of her and causing shivers to run up and down her spine. Her hair was tangled and would frizz when it dried. She was shivering, her bottom jaw clattering with the top row of teeth. And somehow, he thought she was worth pursuing. Somehow, he was looking at her like she was his answer to everything and he had to have her right now.

  Lucas took another step forward. She took a step back. They played this game until Avery's back hit the plain wall
behind her, causing her reflexes to flinch in surprise. She wasn't expecting that.

  Avery felt her heart race but she was not afraid of him. She was thrilled, she was excited and nervous and she had no defenses, no protection against this man, this werewolf, that looked at her with pure and unadulterated desire written clearly in his eyes. His teeth looked sharp and deadly but a small part of her wanted to be bitten by him, even though it would turn her into one of them. All it took was a bite. She had heard stories about werewolves turning humans in the throes of passion. Many a time it was consensual so no charges were ever brought against the wolf but a few cases were considered transformative rape, condemning the wolf to a lifetime in prison if not actual death. Despite equal rights, the justice system failed the supernatural just like it continued to fail minorities.

  When her back hit the wall behind her, her pulse started to tap into her throat like a doctor trying to restart her heart by pounding on her chest.

  "You're back is up against the wall," he said in a soft tone, stopping a foot away from her. "Where do you go from here, Ms. Montgomery? The choice is yours, of course. I can teach you what it's like to have complete control over your body, to bring yourself to pleasure you've never experienced before. I can teach you to manipulate a man and turn him into nothing more than a puddle at your feet. I can teach you everything you want to know. All you need to do is trust me. Are you able to do that?" He perked a brow.

  Avery's throat went dry. Again. She didn't want to swallow. She didn't think it was going to work.

  "I can hear your heartbeat," he told her. "I can smell your fear mixed in with the slightest hint of curiosity. You want this. You want to learn. You wouldn't have come to me if you didn't."

  "I don't know what I want," Avery said. She couldn't look away from him. Not when he was so close to her. Not when she could reach out her arm and touch him.

  "No," he agreed. "You don't. That's why you came to me. To be honest, I'm surprised your pride didn't stop you."

  "I," she began but stopped. She didn't know what to say. "I want to learn."

  "And I can teach you," he assured her. "You came to me, soaking wet in the middle of the night to educate you about the art of intimacy. I've never had anyone be so bold." He reached out and curled an errant strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingering on the curve of the body part just long enough so she could feel the spark that cackled when they touched. This must be normal, this feeling of electricity.

  "Have you taught someone before?” she asked? It was almost laughable, that she was asking about his credentials in love making, if he had had sex with a virgin before.

  Lucas smirked so the tips of his teeth hung over his lips just barely. "Actually, no," he said, shaking his head once. "You'd be my first."

  Avery didn't know what to do with that information so she did nothing, letting the silence hang between them.

  "Come on," he said, tilting his head to the hallway and offering her his hand. "Let's go to bed."

  Avery hesitated only a fraction of a second before placing her hand in his and letting him lead the way.

  7

  Lucas led Avery down a long hallway, rich in design - it was wide enough for two people to walk side by side, with dark oak - yet empty in accessory. Avery took in everything the hallway had to offer, which wasn't much, considering just how wealthy Lucas Cruz was. Rumor had it he was deep into the billion-dollar level due to his oversea investments - especially in technology and innovation in Japan - and growing. He had all of this but nothing and no one to show for it.

  "You don't have pictures," Avery said before she could stop herself.

  Lucas paused his walking to glance back at her. There was slight surprise in his gaze at her realization of this and even more so that she felt compelled enough to comment on it. He didn't say anything, even as he opened the last door of the hallway to the left.

  "I don't," he finally said as he allowed her to walk past him into the room. "I'm going to get you something more comfortable to change into."

  Avery felt her heart jump into her throat before she could stop it. Were they going to have sex already? Was he going to get a costume or sexy lingerie she was always reading about? Suddenly, she wasn't all that certain if she was ready to do this. This was too soon. She needed more time to mentally prepare herself.

  What Lucas actually brought, however, was not lingerie but one of his old shirts and a pair of boxers. When she raised a brow as she took the clothes in her hand, he explained, "You and I have to get used to the idea of being together in intimate settings. One of the most intimate settings is sleeping next to someone, trusting them with your unconscious body. Knowing you snore or drool or talk in your sleep. So we're going to sleep together tonight. In that capacity. I'll let you change and then we'll get to bed. Is that all right?"

  He sounded genuine in his curiosity and without realizing it, Avery nodded.

  After Lucas left - probably to change as well - Avery took off her wet clothes and hung them on the armchair. She used the towel to dry herself off further before sliding on the shirt and pulling up the boxers. To be honest, they were comfortable and surprisingly soft. In fact, just being in them made her feel tired and exhaustion hit her like a bucket of cold water. She was wrapped up in his scent - the forest and some expensive cologne - as she crawled in bed and slid between the covers. The blankets cradled her like a baby and by the time Lucas finally came back, she was already asleep.

  ---

  Avery woke up the next morning to the soft sound of the rain on the roof. She blinked once, twice. The cool sheets were unfamiliar to her and it was only when she noticed the light seeping into the window did she realize she wasn't in her room. She wasn't in her bed. She was...

  And then she remembered. She was with Lucas.

  She blinked, this time with purpose, this time to rid herself of her traitorous thoughts. There was no denying that Lucas Cruz was attractive. He was voted Sexiest Resident in The Somerset Tribune's gossip magazine the past four years. It chronicled his tenure as a resident and billionaire better than some of his biographers. (Avery didn't actually know if he had actual biographers but there was speculation that people wanted write about him since he was a gorgeous werewolf who made his own success and dated a different girl every week. If that didn't sound like a movie, she didn't know what did.) He was American royalty. He was even werewolf royalty, being an Alpha male after all.

  Except, he really wasn't an Alpha, was he? He didn't have a pack. When he left his family to venture out on his own, he had nothing but the clothes on his back and a few hundred bucks he saved himself. The only person who supported him was his grandmother. Avery couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to only have one person's support. Then again, if anyone understood him, she did. Her father humored her interests while her mother didn't even attempt to understand them.

  "Hey."

  Avery snapped her head to the doorway. There, in nothing but a pair of pajama pants - black satin from what she could tell - stood Lucas. His hair was wild, dark curls going off in every which way, like fireworks exploding in the sky. His dark eyes were heavy with sleep and his left hand cupped the back of his neck, causing his torso to stretch and emphasize his masculine beauty. He looked gorgeous. Goodness, he looked gorgeous.

  Avery felt herself blush at her internal reaction to his presence. She was being ridiculous. Masculine beauty. Gorgeous. She sounded like some romantic schoolgirl who was better at stringing words together and making poetry than she was at talking to people.

  He probably noticed her reaction to him on top of everything else, making her feel like a bigger fool than she already was. If he did, he didn’t make a big deal about it. Instead, he gave her a friendly smile. Her insides flip-flopped and she had to look away.

  “Hey,” she said, her voice soft, thick with slumber. She slept well, she realized. She hadn’t slept this well in a long time.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, l
eaning his frame against the doorframe. “Last night was…”

  “Last night was good.” She smiled at him, realizing she meant it. More than that, she felt comfortable with him. In this house. “I didn’t expect it. But it was…” She looked back at him. “Nice.”

  He smiled in return.

  "Do you want breakfast?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. His curls were so thoroughly messy that she had to curl her fingers into fists to keep from reaching out to him. She didn't understand why but she wanted to run her fingers through his hair, figure out if the tresses felt as soft as they looked. "I'm making omelets."

  Avery's brow shot up in surprise. "You cook?" she asked.

  His lips cocked up into a grin. "Are you surprised?"

  "Honestly?" She nodded. "Yes."

  "I'm glad," he said. "It's important that lovers keep each other on their toes."

  The word lover caused Avery's face to jump out with red splotches. His grin turned wolfish.

  "Why do you get uncomfortable every time I even hint at sex?" he asked. He dropped his arms from his chest and slowly walked over to her bed - the bed. It didn't belong to her, she just happened to sleep in it one time. When he sat on the bed, she tensed up. He turned his torso so he faced her. "If we're going to do this, I need you to trust me. You really don't have a choice. What are you afraid of?"

  Avery took a breath. Everything inside of her screamed to keep things inside. She didn't know Lucas. Why would she trust him with her dark, deep feelings, with the fears that kept her up at night; things she hadn't told Rick or even her closest friends; things she barely even acknowledged herself. He didn't give her any reason to trust him. But - and this was a big but - if she was going to trust him with her body, with teaching her this intimate experience, she needed to trust him. Had to. Maybe this could be the start of being comfortable with trusting him with her body. If she could talk to him about this, maybe sex wouldn't be that scary.